AGRA - Poor agricultural yields, high irrigation costs and exorbitant prices of essential commodities - all this and more are causing alarm bells to ring as parts of western Uttar Pradesh are facing “drought-like” conditions. Farmers are concerned about the lack of action by the government.

The Agra division, which comprises the districts Mathura, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah and Agra, and the adjoining Aligarh division have yet to receive significant rain this year.

“Sowing has been delayed already, the yield will be poor, input costs and irrigation costs will shoot up, resulting in skyrocketing prices of essential commodities which will make life tough for the agricultural wage earners or the landless. We are definitely in the grip of a very serious crisis,” agricultural economist B.B. Barik told IANS.

“Unfortunately the government machinery has its lop-sided priorities and has not yet finalized its emergency plan to tackle the drought,” he added.

Across western Uttar Pradesh, at least 30 districts have been impacted by the prevailing dry conditions.

“A few scattered showers have been there but are hardly sufficient to start agricultural operations,” said Barik.

In Agra the situation has taken a grim turn, as of the more than 30 check dams and reservoirs in the district, only a few have a little water while most are dry. The water level in the biggest of them all, Tereh Mori dam in Fatehpur Sikri, is zero and so are the Utangan and Khari rivers. More than 700 community ponds in the districts are dry. What will happen after a couple of months is a question that is worrying farmers.

Sachchendra Kumar Singh, a farmer, said: “the situation is truly alarming. The water scarcity has affected the crops. The fields are dry and the standing summer crop has been partially scorched.”

“Government agencies should have woken up and done something to ensure that farmers did not suffer,” said Surendra Singh Chandel of Kachchpura village.

“These government agencies have squandered thousands of crores on the Taj Trapezium and other useless projects. If that money had gone on developing infrastructure, sprinklers and drip irrigation systems, the results would have been encouraging.

“The sad part is that the official machinery has not yet woken up to the fear of the farmers. If it rains in a few days or a low pressure area is created, there could be some relief in store, but if that doesn’t happen, we are in deep trouble for sure,” Chandel warned.